1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a digital device configured to store, and provide access to, data entries based on considering data entry chronology (age) and usage. It also relates more generally, to a method of storing, and providing access to, digital data entries based on considering data entry chronology and usage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Information is becoming increasingly available and being provided for use with digital devices. For example, computers connected to the internet have access to a large volume of information, much of which can be stored on the computer. In the case of the emerging mobile society, increasing travel has resulted in an increased number of information sources available to individuals, for example, information derived from day to day business and/or social activities. Each of these sources generate information which can conveniently be stored on portable digital devices such as laptop/palmtop computers and mobile phones.
It is increasingly possible to have affordable large capacity digital storage devices. In addition, it is also possible to have relatively small sized digital devices which have comparatively large memory capacities compared to equivalent sized devices of a few years ago. Nevertheless, the storage medium used by digital devices have a finite storage capacity, which can be increasingly filled with the wealth of information which is becoming available. Solutions are required to allow more information to be stored on smaller devices and thus address the issue of the finite capacity of storage media.
Solutions exist which effectively provide more available space for a given finite capacity storage device by compressing the data on the storage device. Thus, the data occupies comparatively less space on the storage media, leaving more available space for further data. However, compressed data needs to be de-compressed before it can be accessed, thus resulting in relatively slow data access.
Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a digital device comprising data storage means to store digital data entries, chronometer means arranged to provide chronological information to the device, and data entry arrangement means to manipulate data entries, wherein the data entry arrangement means is configured to utilize the chronometer means to provide a chronological data entry coding to data entries based on the chronological sequence in which the data entry is stored on and accessed from the data storage means, and wherein the data entry arrangement means is further configured to analyze the data entry chronological data coding and based on the coding, compress the data entry during a data entry compression cycle.
In the case where the data entry is written to the storage means for the first time, the chronological code corresponds to the date and time on which the entry was made. In the case of subsequent access of the data entry, the chronological code is changed to refer to the subsequent access. During a data entry compression cycle, the data entry arrangement means analyzes one or more data entry chronological codes and determines whether or not (or to what extent) the or each associated data entries should be compressed. So, for example, a data entry which was stored some time ago, and not accessed at all, would have an old chronological data coding and, as such, would be compressed. However, a data entry which has been accessed recently would remain un-compressed and be ready for relatively speedy retrieval.
One way of allowing user access to the data entries is, of course, to arrange the data entry arrangement means to provide the data entries stored on the memory means, based on chronology and usage to a user of the digital device. Accordingly, access of data entries is also be based on data entry chronology and/or usage.
The present invention therefore minimizes the effect of relatively slow data access of compressed data and, at the same time, makes efficient use of the capacity of the data storage means. This is done by configuring the digital device to compress data entries based on data entry chronology and usage that is the invention compresses data based on when the data was accessed and also when it was stored on the storage means.
The data entry compression cycle may occur after a set interval of time, for example, after one day. Of course, the set interval of time may be held fixed or varied over a period of time. An example of the latter case is an initial data entry compression cycle occurring after one day, and the following data entry compression cycle occurring after a further two days. Accordingly, the data arrangement means would be arranged to run a data entry compression cycle after a set interval of time.
However, an effective way of managing the memory capacity of the data storage would be to base the data compression cycle on when the total data, or recent data entries, on the storage means occupy a certain proportion of the capacity of the data storage means, for example 5% of the total capacity of the storage means. Accordingly, the data entry arrangement means is arranged to run the data entry compression cycle when data entries occupy a certain proportion of the capacity of the data storage means.
A single data entry or, alternatively, a number of data entries may be compressed by the data entry arrangement means during a data entry compression cycle. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to compression of data entries occurring in batches.
It is important to note that the invention does not exclude compression of all data entries by default, for example, by the data entry arrangement means being configured to compress all data entries by default. However, upon subsequent use of a data entry, the coding provided to the data entry is changed by the data entry arrangement means and thus, during the next data compression cycle, the data may be compressed to the same, or preferably a differing degree.
In one embodiment, the size of a data entry may be considered in determining whether to compress the data entry. In such a case, the data entry arrangement means may be configured to consider the size of the data entry. So, for example, a large data entry may always be compressed by default whereas a relatively small data entry may be left un-compressed.
The same compression rate may be used for all data entry compressions. However, in an alternative embodiment, the device may be configured to vary the data entry compression rate based on the degree of data entry usage. So, for example, a data entry which has not been used for a while, but when used, was used quite frequently, is not compressed as much as compared with a data entry which wasn""t used that frequently when in usage. If the size of the data entry is also to be taken into consideration, a data entry which occupies a large memory space but which is often used may be compressed to a limited degree, or not at all, whereas a data entry which is hardly used at all, regardless of the size of the data, may be compressed to a relatively high degree. In all such cases, the data entry arrangement means may be configured to utilize a data entry chronological coding designed so as to represent a particular compression rate for a particular chronology/usage. In this way, the invention considers how often data entries have been used and does not just consider when the data entry was last accessed.
It may be that a data entry remains un-used, or is moderately used, between compression cycles. In such cases, the data entry arrangement means may be configured to compress such a data entry to a greater degree during a subsequent data entry compression cycle, which may or may not be the next data entry compression cycle. This process may occur during a number of subsequent data entry compression cycles such that the data entry is progressively compressed to a greater degree.
To further release memory capacity, the digital device may be configured such that a data entry which has not been accessed for a pre-determined period of time, for example 6 months, is removed from the storage means. This may be by means of deletion from the storage means or transfer to an archive on a separate storage means. This separate storage means may be provided on a separate device which may, or may not, have the same configuration of the device of the claimed invention. Accordingly, the invention does not require the user to replenish the capacity of the storage means by wilfully remembering to remove old, unused data entries.
In a further embodiment, the data entry may be removed from the storage means following progressively increasing compression. This may, for example, be once the data entry has been compressed to a maximum, or pre-determined, level due to a lack of usage.
Each data entry may consist of a number of data fields (or portions), and each data field may contain data of differing detail and complexity. For example, in the case of a individual""s personal details, one field would be the individual""s name, another the address, and another a map to provide visual guidance as to where the person lives. One of the data entry fields may also be a sound file. As these fields contain information of varying complexity, they would occupy a corresponding differing amount of memory space when stored on the data storage means. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the data entry arrangement means may be arranged to compress a portion of such a data entry. Preferably, this portion is the portion of the data entry which would occupy a relatively large amount of memory space on the storage means. The compressed portions of the data entry may also be removed from the data entry storage means, as described above, possibly for retrieval later. This is a way of essentially trimming down the data entry over a period of time.
The digital device would preferably be configured to leave a portion of the data entry which allows a user to easily identify the data entry un-compressed, for example a heading/title, as such a data entry field would not occupy a large amount of space. In cases where a data entry does not have a heading or other such field which easily identifies the data entry, the digital device would preferably be configured to allow the user to provide such information.
In a further embodiment, the digital device may be arranged to store data entries of a particular usage and chronology in different areas of the data entry storage means. For example, recent data entries may be stored in a separate area of the storage means compared to old data entries. Data entries of a particular compression rate/ratio may also be stored in separate regions of the storage means. It may be that storage is provided not just in a separate area/region of a storage means, but in separate storage means altogether. This may be achieved by configuring the data arrangement means to use the chronological data code to identify the data entries of differing chronology and usage and thereby determine where the particular data entry should be stored. For example, chronological data entry codes could be devised to indicate specific compression ratios. Accordingly, if the digital device is configured to know that a particular chronological data entry code corresponds to a particular compression ratio, and that all the data entries compressed to the same ratio are located in the same region, knowledge of the location of this region will reduce data entry access time as a search of the entire data storage means would not be required. Such arrangements would also cluster wear and tear to particular areas/regions of one or more storage means.
In another embodiment, the digital device may comprise positioning means which registers where the device is in a particular geographical locality, and the data arrangement means is configured to associate the positional information provided by the positioning means with the chronological data entry codes. The positioning means may provide geographical information at the global or local scale. For example, the positional information may provide information concerning floor level, building level, street level, town level, metropolitan level, country level etc. Such arrangements would be able to identify data entries based not only on chronology and usage, but also on locality. Thus, it is possible to retrieve a data entry based firstly on a particular locality/area and secondly based on chronology and usage, or vice versa. So, for example, a user is able to travel from a first country to a second country and be able to easily access information which the user accessed when they were last in the second country. Similarly, a user could travel at street level, and when arriving at a particular street, easily access information which last accessed when the user was on the same street for example provide a list of items last purchased from a grocery store.
In another embodiment still, the data arrangement means may be arranged to allow user selected data entries to be compressed during a data compression cycle. This allows a user to interact with the device and initiate data entry compression of specific data entries. This may be done, for example, when a user knows that a data entry will not be required for a while. The user may also be able to select a particular compression rate and/or particular portions of a data entry for compression.
In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of storing digital data comprising providing a data entry chronological coding to a data entry based on the chronological sequence in which the data entry is stored and accessed, analyzing the data entry chronological coding and, based on the coding, compressing the data entry during a compression cycle.
Obviously, the provision of data entries which have been stored by the method are included as an embodiment of the method.
Various embodiments of a digital device have been discussed above which utilize variations to the aforementioned method of storing digital data. Such methods of storing digital data are also within the scope of the invention. For example, the degree of compression may be varied based on chronology and/or usage, data entries may be progressively compressed and ultimately removed. Portions of data entries may also be compressed and removed. Data entries may also be stored, and therefore provided, based on geographical location.